News

Microsoft Announces Four Versions of Windows 8

According to PC World, Microsoft has announced that Windows 8 will only come in 4 flavors, and for regular consumers, there is really only one version to choose from. That's good news for advanced users who traditionally have to pay much more to get a version of Windows that comes with all the bells and whistles.

For home use, there is Windows 8, which fits on new X86/64 desktops, notebooks or tablets. For machines with ARM chips (tablets), there's a version called Windows RT (Runtime) that will come preinstalled. It'll run touch-oriented apps based on Windows Runtime (or WinRT), Microsoft's programming model for mobile apps. Windows RT will also have special touch-oriented versions of Microsoft Office.

The other two Windows 8 versions are meant for enterprise users. First off, there is Windows 8 Pro which comes with many business-friendly features such as file system encryption, domain connectivity and virtual drive utilization. Then we have Windows 8 Enterprise, deployed in bulk throughout an organization with features that allow IT professionals to better manage a network of machines.

We don't have any details on pricing or availability as yet, but you can be sure that we'll let you know as soon as we find out.